Review by pshaw1414 -- Dying Well by Susan Ducharme Hoben
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Paige Alvarado
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Review by pshaw1414 -- Dying Well by Susan Ducharme Hoben
[Following is a volunteer review of "Dying Well" by Susan Ducharme Hoben.]
Imagine being a perfectly healthy person with a passion for running and outdoors, and then finding out that your days are numbered by a malignant tumor in your esophagus. Such was the reality for Bruce Hoben. After attacking his cancer head-on with the most aggressive form of chemotherapy available, he was pleased to report that he was in a state of remission. However, after some familiar discomfort during a dinner party, he found that the tumors had returned and metastasized. Having already explored the strongest treatment options, Bruce knew that the odds were against him and accepted his fate, deciding instead to die well.
Susan Ducharme Hoben, Bruce's wife, tells the story of the nine months between the initial diagnosis and Bruce's final hours in her book, Dying Well. She discusses the heartbreaking decisions he had to make, and how they revealed the grim news to their adult children, grandchildren, and friends. Sue did a great job of helping Bruce create lasting memories with their young granddaughters. Additionally, she was incredibly brave in surrounding her husband with family and friends during his final months, allowing him to tie up any loose ends he may have had. In the end, Bruce was able to die in the most dignified and beautiful way I could imagine.
In addition to Sue's unparalleled selflessness throughout the book, my favorite thing about Dying Well was that although it is a story about dying, the emphasis was really on living your best life. Before Bruce's diagnosis, Susan had her own plight with cancer. Having survived, the Hoben family began an annual Celebration of Life Party. They reassessed their priorities and surrounded themselves with love every day. I found the entire book to be very inspiring and couldn't find one thing to dislike about it.
Death can be a very heavy topic for some people. In this case, however, I feel that Hoben did well in addressing her husband's death in a way that would suit even the most sensitive of readers. Additionally, Dying Well was squeaky clean with absolutely no profanity or eroticism. For this reason, I believe it would be suitable for any age group to read, but I would mostly recommend it to those that are interested in heartfelt books with bittersweet endings.
In terms of quality, Dying Well was impeccably written. There were a few errors, but all were incredibly minor. This leads me to believe that Hoben took the time to thoroughly proofread and most likely have it professionally edited as well. Overall, Dying Well was a beautifully written story about love, loss, and acceptance. I am pleased to award Susan Hoben with 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Dying Well
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Imagine being a perfectly healthy person with a passion for running and outdoors, and then finding out that your days are numbered by a malignant tumor in your esophagus. Such was the reality for Bruce Hoben. After attacking his cancer head-on with the most aggressive form of chemotherapy available, he was pleased to report that he was in a state of remission. However, after some familiar discomfort during a dinner party, he found that the tumors had returned and metastasized. Having already explored the strongest treatment options, Bruce knew that the odds were against him and accepted his fate, deciding instead to die well.
Susan Ducharme Hoben, Bruce's wife, tells the story of the nine months between the initial diagnosis and Bruce's final hours in her book, Dying Well. She discusses the heartbreaking decisions he had to make, and how they revealed the grim news to their adult children, grandchildren, and friends. Sue did a great job of helping Bruce create lasting memories with their young granddaughters. Additionally, she was incredibly brave in surrounding her husband with family and friends during his final months, allowing him to tie up any loose ends he may have had. In the end, Bruce was able to die in the most dignified and beautiful way I could imagine.
In addition to Sue's unparalleled selflessness throughout the book, my favorite thing about Dying Well was that although it is a story about dying, the emphasis was really on living your best life. Before Bruce's diagnosis, Susan had her own plight with cancer. Having survived, the Hoben family began an annual Celebration of Life Party. They reassessed their priorities and surrounded themselves with love every day. I found the entire book to be very inspiring and couldn't find one thing to dislike about it.
Death can be a very heavy topic for some people. In this case, however, I feel that Hoben did well in addressing her husband's death in a way that would suit even the most sensitive of readers. Additionally, Dying Well was squeaky clean with absolutely no profanity or eroticism. For this reason, I believe it would be suitable for any age group to read, but I would mostly recommend it to those that are interested in heartfelt books with bittersweet endings.
In terms of quality, Dying Well was impeccably written. There were a few errors, but all were incredibly minor. This leads me to believe that Hoben took the time to thoroughly proofread and most likely have it professionally edited as well. Overall, Dying Well was a beautifully written story about love, loss, and acceptance. I am pleased to award Susan Hoben with 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Dying Well
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: The Beginning of the End - It Starts by John K. Williamson
